Date : 18-04-2024
New Delhi: In connection with a money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 98 crore, including equity shares and a bungalow in Pune of actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband, businessman Raj Kundra, the probe agency stated on Thursday.
The case is related to cheating of investors’ funds through use of bitcoins The action is part of a money laundering investigation linked to a Rs 6,600 crore Bitcoin ponzi scheme.
The attached properties include a residential flat in Juhu, Mumbai, registered under Shilpa Shetty’s name, a bungalow in Pune, and equity shares held by Raj Kundra. A provisional attachment order has been issued by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case stems from FIRs filed by the Maharashtra and Delhi Police against Variable Tech Pte Ltd and its promoters. The company is accused of defrauding investors by promising high returns on Bitcoin investments. The ED alleges that the promoters, including the late Amit Bhardwaj, collected a staggering Rs 6,600 crore in Bitcoins (as per 2017 valuation) through false promises.
The ED further claims that Raj Kundra received 285 Bitcoins from the alleged mastermind Amit Bhardwaj. These Bitcoins are currently valued at over Rs 150 crore, and the ED suspects Kundra of concealing them.
